Vodafone to turn off pagers due to prolonged antitrust probe

The paging unit of Vodafone, staffed by less than five people, had been due to be sold to its rival. Vodafone said it would now shut down the service due to frustration with the competition watchdog. NHS staff, field workers and bird watchers are among the users hanging on to their pagers, with 1,000 customers still on Vodafone's books. Vodafone, which had already indicated that it would turn off its network by December, has decided to cancel the transaction. "Due to the expense involved with a prolonged investigation, Vodafone will not pursue the transaction and has made the decision to close down this business," a spokesman said.